Cannero Castles

Autumn has arrived and it is quite cold out there… but the colours are so nice that you cannot stay inside…it is too soon…
This is the right time to discover places that are too crowed in the summer and not exotic enough to be visited in high season.

Cannero castles - photo by Night FlierIt’s the case for example of Cannero Castles. These spectacular ruins are located at Lake Maggiore, on top of two small rocky islands, in front of Cannero Riviera, in Cannobbio (map). Unfortunately they cannot be visited but only seen from the shores or even better from a boat. Even if this complex is known as “the castles”, the castle is really only one; the second building is a tower that was once a prison.Originally it was known as Castello della Malpaga and was built between the 11th and 12th century. Around 1400 it was used by the Mazzardi, a powerful family that at those times exerted violence and pillages against all neighbouring people. The castle was then rebuilt the following century by the Borommeo family and was called Rocca Vitalina .In 1700 the castle was abandoned and itself fell into a state of disrepair and became at first refuge for fishermen and then, when established it was an old barn, became refuge for birds during migration.Cannero castles - photo by Pata & Pata

There have been many initiatives in the last decades aimed at renovating this complex, but without success until 2006, when scaffoldings and cranes appeared out of the blue and started working without even any permission, but were legally in order as appeared to be an intervention urgent and necessary. Construction works were authorized under the condition that nothing would have been demolished. But this did not happen. Demolition works and other illegal works listed here on http://www.castellidicannero.com/appello.pdf were undertaken.
On the net we cannot find information about the real conditions of the castle. By looking at these photos visible on Flickr it looks like that the works aren’t finished yet . We believe that the works have been blocked because they have ruined the landscape… But is it possible that the works have been blocked for three years????? The only way you can understand more is to visit the site!